Radiant electric heater



Sept'. 29, 192.5.A 1,555,335

- v. G. vAuGHAN RADIANT ELECTRIC HEATER Filed May 19, 1923 2 sheets-sheer 1 I I l I I I l I ./22 l l I l I I I I l l INVENTOR Patented Sept. Z9, 1925.

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR G. VA'UG PIAJI` OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A'SSIGNOR T0 Vwllslllflfa'r- HOUSE ELECTRIC $0 MANUFAGEURING COMJEANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA..

RADANT ELECTRIC HEATER.

Application filed May 19, 1923. Serial No. 640,056.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vieron G. Innern-in, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lllilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Radiant Electric Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric heating devices and particularly to electric air heaters.

One object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple, compact electric air heater of relatively large capacity and that is easily assembled and disassembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric air heater comprising a plurality of independent heating units.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric air heater comprising a plurality of vertically-extending skeleton frames, of refractory material, for supporting the resistor members.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric air heater comprising` a plurality of radiant heating units that shall simulate the present gas-operated radiant heater.

In practicingl my invention, I provide a casing having a front opening therein and locate in said casing refractory reflector plate. I provide a plurality of verticallyextending skeleton frames of electric-insulating refractory material located adjacent to each other in the casing in front of said plate and helically wound resistors mounted on said skeleton frames and extending along the frame at each side thereof.

I provide a combined bus bar, control switch and heating element-supporting structure, comprising a plurality of bus bars and of refractory members, on one end of which a controlling switch may be secured and on which the skeleton frames may be mounted to be supported thereby.

This application is closely related to my copending application, Serial No. 640,055, (case 10,400) filed May 19, 1923 and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric and l\[anufacturing- Company.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of an electric air heater embodying' my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view, in vertical lateral section therethrough, taken on the line II-II of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a view, in front elevation, of a skeleton frame comprising a part of the device embodying my invention,

Fig. el is a view in side elevation thereof,

Figs. 5 and (l are views in lateral section theretln'ough, taken on a line V-*V and VI-VI respectively, of Fig. 3,

Fig. 7 is a partial view, in front elevation, of a modified form of skeleton frame embodying my invention,

Fig. 8 is a lateral section therethrough taken on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7, l)

Fig. 9 is a partial view, in side elevation, of a further modified form of skeleton frame embodying my invention, and

Fig. l0 is a view, in lateral section of the member illustrated in Figi 9, taken on the line X-X thereof.

An electrical air heater 21 comprises a casing 22 that may be of any suitable or desired type and construction, but is here shown as being substantially rectangular in vertical and in lateral sertions, and supported by a base portion 223 having integral supporting` members 24h The general construction oi'" the casing 22 and of the supporting structure 23 is such as to provide an ornamental structure and while I have illustrated a particular embodiment of these members, I do not desire to be restricted thereto, as these are shown for illustrative purposes only. i

The casing 22 is provided with a depressed front portion and a front opening 25 therein. An ornamental grating 20 of skeleton form which is provided, may be of any suitable construction and be supported in any suitable or desired way. In order to permit of its quick assembly in, and removal from, the casing, I may provide suitable openings 27 in the inturned 'llange portions of the depressed part of the casing at both the top and the bottom of the opening 25, whereby it is possible to insert the upper ends of the vertically extending bars comprising a part of the grating 26, into the upper openings 27 and then to drop the grating downwardly to permit the lower ends of the vertical bars to enter into the lower openings 27, a horizontally extending bar 28 being provided to limit the downward movement of the grating 26 to hold it in its proper operative position in a vertical direction.

A plate 29, of a suitable refractory niaterial and of any suitable or desired contour, but here illustrated as substantially rectangular in shape, is located in the casing 22 back of the opening 25, any suitable or desired means being provided to support the plate 29 to hold it in its proper operative position within the casing.

A plurality of vertically extending sltelet0n frames 31 of refractory electric insulating material are located in the casing in front of the reflector plate in the opening` As illustrated more particularly in Figs, 3 and 4, the members 31 severally comprise an elongated central rib 32, of substantially rectangular cross section, and a plurality of pairs of spaced, laterally and forwardly extending lugs 33, of substantially L-shape, that project from the rear edge of the central rib and alternate with a. plurality of pairs of spaced, laterally and rearwardly extending lugs 34, of substantially L-shape, that project from the front edge of the central rib.

An integral base portion 35 and an integral flanged top portion 36 are also provided, the bottom portion 35 serving as a base and the top portion 36 serving as a means to hold the top end of the respective members 31 in their proper operative positions within the casing 22, a refractory member 37, being provided within said casing to operatively engage the front surface of the portions 3G while the rear surface thereof is in operative engagement with an integral part of .the plate 29. If desired, the plate 29 may be provided with an integral forwardly extending iiange 38 which may be provided with spaced .grooves 39 to receive the portions 36 of the members 31. Openings il are provided in the base portion 35 through which the ends of a resistor wire may extend.

A resistor member 4t2 comprises a lielically wound wire and extending along both sides of the central rib 32 and held in its proper operative position by the alternately oppositely extending integral lugs 33 and Si of L-shape. The coil is easily and quickly placed in its proper operative position on the frame by being threaded past the alternately opposite'ly-extending lugs and the ends thereof pushed through the openings 4l.

The members 8l may have a plurality of openings 43 extending laterally therethrough in order t'o reduce the amount of material in each frame, whereby less heat storage capacity is provided for the heat generated by the resistor members 42. In this way, itV is possible to bring `up the temperature of the individual heating elements more,

quickly to a radiant value than would be the case if the refractory supporting members had a relatively large heat storage capacity.

The individual vertically extending radi-- ants or heat-ing units comprising the members 3l and the resistor member 4-2 operativelyA associated therewith, may be supported on substantially horizontally cxtending refractory bar ist that is provided with a plurality of depressions -l in its upper surface of such shape as to receive the bottom portions 35 therein. The bar #la-il may constitute a part of a bus bar, controlswitch and heatingelementsupporting struct-ure comprising a plurality of bus bars -lt located in spaced relation both vertically and horizontally in the bottom portion of the easing 22 and extending from one side to the other thereof. Blocks i7 and a8, of a suitable refractory electric-insulating material are provided at each end of the bus bars l-G, suitable machine screws Li9 being provided to secure the bus bars against the blocks 47 and 4.8. The bar 4st may also be secured in any suitable or desired manner to the top of the blocks i7 and IS. The ends of the resistor wire 42, extending through the openings lil, are sufliciently long to spectively engage the two bus bars 116, machine screws 50 being provided to secure the ends ot the resistor wire l2 to the bus bars 46. 11n opening 51 may be provided in the back of the casing to permit of the operator using a screw driver or other suitable tool to effect connection and disconnection of the resistor' and the bus bars.

The casing 22 is provided with a` suitable opening in one side thereof to permit o i the assembled bus-bar and heating-unitsupporting structure to be removed laterally from the casing. A plate is also cured against the structure by any suitable or desired means. and is of such dimensions as to cover the opening A. suit-able coutrolling switch 54 is mounted on the outer surface of the plate 53 and is effective to control the energization o'tI the heating unita. I may provide terminal contact members mounted on the plate 5?) to permit of ready engagement by suitable contact sockets, if the amount of energy to be translated into heat will permit of doing` this, or I may provide suitable terminal members that may be permanently connected to a suitable source of supply of electric energy.

The hercinbefore described construction of skeleton radiants provide a means vfor supportinga resistor member that will hold the resistor member in a substantially straight form and while I have lshown the individual heating units as spaced apart a relatively large distance, I may locate the heating units in closely adjacent relation.

Figs. 7 to l0, inclusive, illustrate modilied forms of skeleton frames, whereby I obtain lil) a sinuous form of helical coil when mounted in a frame.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 7 and 8, the skeleton frame 3l. is provided with a plurality of pairs of laterally-extending spaced integral lugs 56 that extend from the central rib thereof intermediate the lugs 33 and 3st. When the resistor member l2 is placed in its proper operative position on the frame 3l by being threaded along the central rib past the oppositely extending lugs 323 and 554i of L-shape, the resistor member e2 assumes substantially the form illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing, whereby a more pleasing effect is obtained during the operation of the device.

Figs. 9 and l0 illustrate a further modification of a skeleton radiant 3l in which each of the lugs 33 and 34 are provided with integral bosses 57. When the resistor 42 is placed in its proper operative position, it will assume a sinuous form that undulates in a plane at right angles to the plane of the undulations illustrated in Fig. 7.

I have found that if a resistor member is supported only at the top of the radiant, there is a tendency for the weight of the two parts thereof to extend the distance between the adjacent turns of the resistor at the top of the frame and possibly cause the adjacent turns near the bottom of the frame to engage each other, thereby causing local short circuits. By providing the integral lugs illustrated in Fi gs. 7 and 9 and causing the resistor member to lie in a sinuous path,

this tendency to stretch the helix is, to a great degree prevented, and I obtain the effect of substantially independently supported portions.

A heater of the type disclosed in the present application is intended to be operated in such manner that the resistor is at substantially red heat, whereby the action or operation of a gas-operated heater is simulated and the purpose of the hereinbefore described construction of skeleton frames is to simulate the action of such a gas-operated heater as nearly as may be possible.

Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed thereon, as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an electric heater, in combination, a casing, and a plurality of spaced, verticallyextending, radiant heating elements therein, each comprising a refractory skeleton frame and an electric resistor supported thereby.

2. In an electric heater, in combination, an open front casing, a refractory reflector in said casing and a plurality of vertically-extending radiant heating elements in said casing, each comprising an elongated refractory skeleton frame and an electric resistor member substantially coextensive therewith and supported thereby.

il, An electric heater comprising a casing, a refractory reflector member in said casing, and a plurality of radiant heating elements, each con'iprising an elongated skeleton frame, and helical resistor members extending along both sides of said frame and supported thereby.

In an electric heater` in combination, a skeleton frame comprising a central rib and a plurality of spaced, alternately oppositely-extending integral lateral portions, of substantially L-shape, and a resistor member held adjacent to said central rib by said spaced members of L-shape.

5. In an electric air heater, in combination, a skeleton frame comprising an elongated central rib, of substantially rectangular cross-section, a plurality of laterally and forwardly extending lugs, of substantially L-shape, and a plurality of laterally and rearwardly extending lugs, of substantially L-shape, projecting respectively from the rear and from the front edges of said central rib and a resistor member extending along said rib and between said laterally projecting lugs.

6. In an electric air heater, in combination, a skeleton frame, of refractory material, comprising an elongated central rib, of substantially rectangular cross-section, a plurality of integral, spaced lugs, of substantially L-shape, extending laterally and forwardly from the rear edge of said central rib at both sides thereof, a plurality of integral, spaced lugs, of substantially L- shape, extending laterally and rearwardly from the front edge of said central rib at both sides thereof, the forwardly-extendinglugs alternating with said rearwardly-extending lugs, and a resistor member extending along both sides of said central rib and between said sets of alternate lugs.

7. In an electric air heater, in combination, a skeleton frame comprising an elongated central portion, of substantially rectangular cross-section, a plurality of spaced members, of substantially L-shape, projecting laterally from the back edge of said central portion, and a plurality of spaced members, of substantially L-shape, projecting laterally from the front edge of said central portion and alternating in longitudinal position with said first named m; 1nbers of L-shape, and a resistor member extending between said central portion and said members of L-shape.

8. An electric heater comprising an openfront casing, a refractory reflector member in said casing, and a plurality of spaced vertically-extending radiant heating elements located in front of said reflector, each comprisingv an elongated skeleton frame of refractory electric-insulatmg material, and helical resister members extending` alom;` both sideI of said skeleton frames and supported therel y.

9. lu au elect heater, in combiriaieii, a skeleton frame comp ising a central rib and a plurality of spaced alernalely opposielyexteuding integral lateral portions. of subsl'anie-,lly L.shape, a resistor member held adjacent to said central rib b y said spaced members of L-shape, and integral, spaced lugs on said frame 'lor engaging said resistor member 'fo cause it lio assum a sinu- 15 ous form. 

